Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold

I was an illegitimate child. Yep, my mother was the infamous homewrecker everyone despised. She was just an intern at a hotel when she met my father, the CEO of some big corporation.Apparently, my father was drunk that night, and after a wild fling, my mother stuck to him like glue. Back then, she was young and beautiful. No man could resist someone like her throwing themselves at them.My father thought throwing some money at her and keeping a little side piece would be simple enough, but my mother had bigger plans. She secretly got pregnant, hoping to force her way into the main seat. When that didn’t work, she cried, screamed, and even threatened to end it all just to bring me into the world.I was born a month premature because my mother, hearing that my father’s wife had just given birth, rushed to the hospital to have an emergency C-section. She didn’t even wait for the anesthesia to wear off before calling my father, demanding he claim his newborn daughter.However, guess w

When Xavier was twelve, I got accepted into the finance program at Futura University in Salone City. My new life was full of hope, and I couldn’t wait to start. The only thing that weighed on my mind was Xavier. With a mother like ours, he barely had a steady supply of food, let alone a decent life.He’d just gotten into middle school, still chubby like a little kid, not yet hitting puberty. Despite that, he spoke like an adult, trying to comfort me, “Willow, don’t worry about me. Go to Salone City. I can take care of myself and look after Mother too.”I used the money I’d earned from my summer job to hire a housekeeper to cook for them. Still, I left for Salone City with a heart full of worry.Undergraduate life was busy and exciting, and for the first time in my eighteen years, I felt like I was truly living. As no one there knew I was an illegitimate child, no one mocked or looked down on me. I also didn’t have to deal with a mother drowning her life away at the gambling table

“Um…” My father looked uncomfortable.I sighed softly. “Xavier used to tell me all the time that he wished he had more time with you. He really looked up to you, but you were always so busy. Now that he’s gone, I just want to stay by your side, you know, to be there for you, just like he would’ve been. And besides, you're such a success in this city, a real powerhouse. I’d love to learn from you.”Seeing my father's expression soften, I seized the moment and said, “I want to start from the bottom, as a regular employee. I promise I won’t use your name to get any special treatment or embarrass you. I’ll even go by the name Willow Grange. No one will know I’m your daughter.”He couldn’t refuse me any longer, though he didn’t exactly give me what I wanted either. Instead of placing me in the main company of Heights Corp, he quietly arranged for me to start at one of his subsidiary investment firms. I was hired as an entry-level employee in the development department.The HR manager at

After my first victory, things got a lot easier. As I said, some talents were just innate. Reading people and understanding what they wanted was something I had been good at since I was a kid. Now, as an adult, I had honed that skill to perfection, especially when it came to getting a man’s attention.Making a man interested was pretty simple. One just had to remember three things: First, know what he liked; second, surprise him; third, trigger his protective instincts.The next day, when I went to Starline Corporation, I wore a simple but perfectly fitted business suit and light makeup—fresh and professional. I was a completely different person from the carefree, bold version of myself he saw the day before.Leo’s assistant led me to his office, where he was already waiting for me.Starline Corporation was planning a new energy project in the area. I’d done my homework thoroughly, so I could speak confidently about everything, for example, market trends, product comparisons, feasi

Ben wasn’t the best guy, but he was undeniably skilled. Working under him, I learned a lot, though I always had to keep my guard up. He had this way of blurring professional boundaries, thinking every young woman was just waiting for a little office flirtation. He once said I was hard to catch. I pretended not to understand, sticking to the act of playing dumb. Six months later, Cindy graduated with a master's degree from a university abroad and joined the company. The name of the university didn’t ring any bells, so I Googled it. It turned out it was one of those no-name schools, and Cindy had actually graduated a year later than expected.My father decided to give her the title of vice president, hoping to groom her as a successor.Cindy had no real work experience. Every day, she strutted around, meeting partners in a way that showed off her power or holding meetings where she criticized department managers for doing nothing. Everyone knew she was the CEO’s daughter, so who woul